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Snafu
'Crew Quarters ' ---- :The narrow passage opens up into a small wardroom. The space is ingeniously outfitted, the furniture and surfaces configured to serve either under nominal local gravity conditions, or that provided by the freighter's own acceleration. Furthermore the room is done in a light-grained wood panelling with brass accents and fittings. :Flanking the wardroom are a set of personal sleeping niches, with each empty bunk module containing a bed with built in cabinetry and storage lockers. One of these sleeping compartments has been emptied of its normal furnishings and not sports a nautilus-style exercise machine bolted sturdily to the floor and ceiling in a gravity-from-ventral style. :Forward, a fresher unit is located portside, while to the starboard is a complicated wall of intricate machinery and electronics that makes up the ship's kitchenette (+kitchen). The room is softly illuminated, gentle light flowating down from coves recessed into the dorsal and side wall framing. The deckplates have a brass sheen to them and are sturdy and and diamond gridded, providing a bright if utilitarian finish to the space ---- "It's yer torso, not my problem. I got enough of my own body to look after." Cathal slaps a meaty hand to his ample gut. The big Lunite stands across from the last sleeping cubicle in the crew quarters, where he appears to be conversing with someone. The showers run in the background. The showers turn off soon enough, though the scent of soap now joins that of bleach cleaner in the air. Aadzrian is sprawled out in said cubicle, shirtless and bandaged on the bed. Tia sits nearby, arm in a sling. "Am here," the Timonae explains quietly, "be-cause some-body is after Cabrerra people. We have previous worked wit' te Boss, and do no know if te pro-blem wil spil over and become pro-blem also for us. So I have been try to finded out if we on te shit list, and has no luck yet." The airlock cycles in the distance. In about a minute's time, the sliding door to the fore compartment opens, revealing the masked Brother Jobe himself. "Good evening." He greets. "B-but, don't ya think it'd be better havin' someone eho ain't part of t'crew searchin' for ya." Tia again, protests, "Cause-cause if ya on t'list, then-.." She trails off, and just frowns some more. The door to the shower opens, steam pouring out around a wet-haired Jest. She is tugging clothing into place, "Did I hear...?" She spots Lucius, "Brother Jobe. Pleasure to see you again. We should be about ready to go. We just had a little incident with a guest needing assistance." "Te best proof t'at people are try to kil you is people trying to kil you," Aadzrian points out with a light grin. "T'ere-fore, I feel half convinse al-ready." At the sound of more voices, the Timonae carefully rolls to his feet with a grunt. Moving cautiously and slowly, he strides for the main body of the crew quarters. "...Ah. Do I need get out of your hair?" the Timonae asks of Jest "Excellent. The vehicle is prepared. We've got enough ammunition and should it be, rations and supplies. Let us hope these are not necessary. Should they be, however, at least we will endure." Jobe looks over to the bandaged Aadzrian, and his eyebrow raises up. "Ah. Complications, I see." "No it's not!" Tia replies, suddenly with a tone of anger to her upset, "Tha's stupid proof! Ain't gonna do nothin' but -'elp- 'em kill ya that way." "If Tiana can escort you back to Fox," Jest says easily, "Then she should. You both need more medical attention than I can provide. And I'm not willing to be overrun by Fox crew if someone comes looking for you." "I need no more medy-cal attention t'an you provided," Aadzrian tells Jest with a slight shake of his head. "Wors' part of any of it was blood loss. And I have taken care of Tiana and wil keep doing so. You need any back-up on wat you handling, I am stil a cap-pabble gun hand if not'ing else." He sighs after a moment, however, offering over his shoulder to Tiana, "Please, do no worry. Jus trust me." Cathal checks over his shotgun, giving it a celebratory pump. He winks at Aadzrian, "Don't worry, I'll bring you back a couple ears." He heads over to the hatch, waiting for the others. "If you are offering to come, Mister Axbovi, then I would accept another one. That would be most gracious, provided you are in acceptable health? Compensation can be arranged monetarily if you so desire." Says Jobe in his distorted voice, free of any sort of expression. Jest shoots Lucius a cool look, "I just mopped up a significant amount of his blood off the deckplates, Jobe. And put him back together with Synth-skin. He's not fit for it." She looks to Aadz, "Rest. We'll talk later about this if we must." She starts for the fore. Tiana takes the shoulder, sniffling and what-have you. She doesn't retain the position long, though, for fear of making her collarbone hurt more, "Y'ain' 'llowed t'go 'elp." She whispers hoarsely to the Timonae. "Signy-cant amount of blood diffy-rent between a nice big Timonae like me and a human. I -am- fit for it," Aadzrian smoothly contradicts, "so long as I no has to run a mara-t'on. More t'an fit for gun support. I no know if t'at fits wit' your goal, Mister... Jobe? But if it do, and if you are making decide here, I wil go." He turns to pick up his discarded armor, only blanching a little from the discomfort of putting it back on over his synth-skinned chest. Cathal flicks the collar of his jacket up, producing a cigarette to smoke as he waits for the others. He notes, while thumbing towards the ship's exterior, "And Aadzrian used to be a decent hand with a turret, if I remember a-right." "Nobody has any right to decide for him whether he goes or not. It is much appreciated. Do you know how to man a turret?" Lucius turns towards Cathal. "You are Raymond Baird, a Lunite. Your brother is Alexander Baird, and he worked for Scutum Enterprises, a private military company, for a year and a half. Before then he served in the Vanguard and the Lunite Marine Corps. You are Liana Monroe, Miss Jest, and your brother Jason Monroe worked for the Vanguard, the Guardian Fleet and the Martian Legions before he joined Scutum Enterprises. If they ask, I am Appius Trebonius Labienus, and my brother Titus worked for the same as Miss Jest's. Or Miss Munroe's, should we be in character. Mister Axbovi can be a mercenary we hired to guide us." "If you wish to waste all Tiana's work, that is fine, Jobe. But if he goes, I don't. And you are down one identity." Jest gestures to the door. "Go on then." Tiana glances between all around, though her line of sight may not always be clear. Seeing Aadzrian begin to move, she moves herself and stands, though it's not to mirror the Timonae's actions or follow him about. Nay, she wanders quietly past Cathal instead and towards the kitchenette, presumably for a glass of water or some cold coffee. Aadzrian's lips tighten as he stares at Jest a moment, then barks a short laugh. "As Miss Monroe wishes," he says simply, managing a shallow bow before he moves for the doorway. "I do know how to man a turret, but it seeming it no matter. Good luck to al of you." Cathal throws a small salute to Aadzrian, offering him a cigarette as he passes. "Sorry ta hear you won't be joinin' us, I was lookin' forward to workin' with you again. Take it easy." "If that is the case, Mister Axbovi, and it certainly seems like it is, I cannot use you. Speedy recover." Jobe offers a shrug, and that's pretty much it. He moves to the door. Jest looks from Tiana to Aadzrian, a slight jerk of her head in the motion and expression guarded. It may be taken as a permission, a query of intentions or a request for Tiana to follow the man. But? Whether it is any of these things? It will not be repeated. She takes up the rear of the small party leaving. 'Landing Field ' ---- :Once upon a time, a crimelord named Boss Cabrerra built the domed city of Shadowheart. Starships entered through a series of atmospheric locks in the upper hemisphere of the dome and landed atop a framework structure called the landing aerie. Visitors would then ride Cabrerra Industries shuttles from the aerie to the spaceport. More than 1,000 feet tall, the aerie was the tallest structure within the cityscape. And then, in the year 3004, the domed city fell into disarray with the spread of the Nexus Curse plague and the destruction of Cabrerra Industries. The landing aerie toppled in an explosion after the destruction of Majordomo Grim - the right hand of the Kamir. :A 100 yard by 100 yard square patch of concrete has been laid out, a recent refurbishment, designated strips for landing ships visible from space by blinking warning lights. Settled about the landing pad is solid, iron towers with the shadow of snipers. Though the ruins still circle the establishment, nascent physical organization has begun here. ---- Outside, there is already a buggy at the ready. Whether he just left it out there or someone onboard the Equinox was watching it the whole time isn't really obvious. Regardless - the buggy, while spare, has room for a driver, a passenger in the front, three in the back and a gunner. The gunner has a machine gun of very similar design to Lucius's battle rifle mounted, to play with. The masked man gets into the driver seat and turns the vehicle on, which at first emits an engine noise but, with the flick of a switch becomes silent. Jest silently joins Lucius as passenger in the buggy, though her gaze flicks back towards the Artemis. Cathal takes the last few steps towards the buggy in a run, leaping up onto the gunner's seat and taking hold of the turret. A trail of smoke rises from his mouth and nose, and his face splits into a wide grin. "Damn me but I hope somebody messes with us." Aadzrian disembarks from the Artemis, calling idly, "I am a far better shot t'an t'at walking toupee, you know." It's said more or less in a friendly fashion, though. Tiana comes wandering out after Aadzrian a few moments later, PDA, wires and portable keyboard all collected and stuffed into a pocket, "Good luck." She calls quietly after the group. "Damn you indeed, Mister Cathal. I would prefer that we do not fire a shot." Lucius nods at the two not coming along, and then begins to pull out of the wreckage that dominates the landing field, moving at a slowish speed so as not to hit anything. "Stay listening, Tiana," Jest calls, "If you don't mind." She smiles wryly and adjusts her glasses. Cathal lifts one hand in an obscene gesture to the Timonae as the vehicle drives off into the distance. Aadzrian returns it, but then once the buggy's passed? He turns to stalk off in a different direction, away from the Fox. His movement's visibly a bit unsteady, but he's capable of walking under his own power. Lucius pulls his goggles down over his eyes, obscuring most of his face. He makes sure his rifle is within easy reach, next to him, also loosening his holster with one hand still on the wheel. As he finally finds a path, he speeds up somewhat. The buggy must be running on electric, because it makes no noise other than that of rolling over the ground. Tiana nods towards Jest, knowing the gesture will go unseen, more than likely, "Okay, Miss Jest." She calls back. Her viligance over watching Aadzrian hasn't ceased though, and when he moves away from the Fox, she follows, "Aadz..." Lucius is silent as the buggy rolls on. He drives deeper into the ruins. Finally, after a few minutes he says to Cathal, "Make sure that your eyes are open and your mind empty, Mister Cathal." Jest stifles a sharp smile at that and merely clears her throat. Cathal laughs quietly, calling up to the front of the buddy, "You ever talked to me, son? My mind's always empty! I'll do what I can about the eyes, though." He swivels around in the gunner's seat, making long sweeps in all directions. After a few moments, he calls out again, "Oi, Jest! Aadz is mighty handy to have in a firefight. You oughta let him tag along." "And your mouth closed, I should have added." Without having to look at a compass, Jobe instinctively knows exactly which path to take. He steers the car skillfully enough around burnt out wrecks, over what could maybe or maybe not be dead bodies, and through dangerous areas. But nothing yet. "He also has a habit of disobeying my orders on a whim," Jest returns, "And even more than that, I don't care what he has for a constitution. You do not go from being unable to walk on your own power forty minutes ago and ready to fight just because you got bandaged." She grows more alert, gray gaze going to their surroundings and lips thinning. Cathal grumbles to himself in his typically random, old man way, but largely falls silent. After a few minutes, he does quietly recite his own cover story over and over until he's satisfied. 'Aurora Strand ' ---- :The massive framework construct of the aerie, where ships used to land back in Cabrerra's day, has toppled over the thoroughfare known as Aurora Strand. Before the fall of Tomin Kora in the aftermath of Majordomo Grim's rampage, the spacious avenue had been home to numerous neon-lit businesses. Now, it's a boulevard of broken hovercars, skeletal remains of crashed spacecraft, and drifts of rubble. The remnants of the old Tomin Kora spaceport, cracked from impact by the aerie's collapse, loom nearby. ---- "I see." Lucius says. After about twenty minutes of driving, probably so much because there are so many blocked paths, the buggy is nearing its destination. "When I was last here, no medical facility existed. Where did you claim it was?" He slows down. "About four blocks south of the Odarites Merchant's Guild," Jest says promptly. Cathal calls out again, apparently unable to obey the 'keep mouth shut' part of his orders, "So Titus and Baird are the ones we're here to collect?" Lucius doesn't reply immediately, but at the next broad intersection, turns right. "We are here to collect all three. They are corpses, apparently. My associates and I do not want them to be in the hands of criminals and thugs." He applies the gas liberally once they're outside of what could pass for a military bunker. No doubt if a bomb got dropped on it, the interior would probably survive. Two guards patrol outside in hodgepodge equipment, and they come up to the vehicle once it's stopped. "Can I help you?" One asks, in a Sivadian accent. Jest's expression has shifted. Apprehension makes her bit her lip and she looks at the guards with widened eyes behind those glasses of hers. She looks to Lucius expectantly. Cathal leans casually on the turret he's handling, lifting a hand to the guards in a small wave. "Sure hope so, fellas." "Yes. We've come to collect our dead." Says Jobe, as he lifts his goggles over his head, onto his helmet. The guard looks curiously at one, two, three people in the buggy. "And why do you have that mask on?" Jobe is quick to reply with, "I am ill. I do not wish to make anybody in the hospital ill. All we need is to pick up the bodies in the morgue. Is there somewhere we could park this? I do not wish to add to your responsibilities." "Please..." Jest says meekly. Then she falls silent and pushes back into her seat as if surprised she had the courage to speak at all. Cathal attempts to summon up a look of mourning, flicking his cigarette butt onto the ground. "We come a long way." The guard stares at the buggy for a few more moments with a frown on his face. His comrade keeps on with his patrol, though, and after looking the trio over a few more times gives a nod. "Go. Wait around back. We'll let you in." There is an odd look to the man as he steps away. Once he's a few metres away he leans quietly into his comm. Jobe turns to Jest and gives her the "eye", but complies and begins to pull away to do a semi-circle and go towards the alleyway. "Now would be the time to make sure that machine gun is up, I suspect. If they try to capture us..." His voice is quiet. "Perhaps driving up in the heavily armed war vehicle was not the best?" Jest drawls dryly. Nevertheless she's loosening the clasp on her holster. Cathal slides the safety off the turret as subtly as possible, murmuring, "Ready if it happens. They come at us close though, and I'm switching to shotgun. More comfortable with it, you understand." "We are going to get out of the vehicle." Lucius says, lowering his goggles over his eyes again. As the buggy rolls around in the back, a garage door opens up. There is another guard waiting at the entrance who waves them in. Lucius stops the vehicle short of it. "We will stop here, if you please. Avoids the hassle." Jest offers her best smile to the guards. "It's a little...uh...big." She offers with a wave of her hand. Cathal, perhaps mindful of his earlier instructions, just keeps his mouth shut. Lucius steps out of the vehicle and grabs his rifle before the guard can protest. He tucks his keys in a secure pocket of his tack vest, reaching under the hood driver's seat and grabbing some sort of plug, as well. "Raymond. Please take the bolt out of the weapon." He looks apprehensive. The guard has a sour look on his face, gripping his pulse assault rifle tightly. "Hurry up, you're exposing me to possible fire." Jest exits the car as well, clasping her hands in front of her. The tunic she wears, as huge as it is, obscures the line of the weapon at her hip. This may or may not matter as far as the guards are concerned. "Uh... Hello." She says to them though, stepping forward as if to distract from what "Raymond" may be doing with the turret. "It's a nice enough day, isn't it?" Cathal dismantles the weapon in a quick and professional manner, tucking the all-important bolt under his belt before stepping down from the gunner's seat and slowly circling around the vehicle towards the guarded entrance. The guard's hand slides along the handgrip of his weapon, making it more stable in his arms. He just stares at Jest menacingly. "Let's go, get inside. We'll watch that." He looks at Lucius's tac vest pocket, then at Cathal's belt with a frown. "C'mon." After being urged into the small parkade, Lucius holds his weapon by the slip ring around the barrel. Not the best position but... The guard urges them forward, towards a small corridor. Jest bites her lip but follows the orders given, shoulders hunched. Gray eyes, however, are making heavy note of where they are walking and potential dangers along the way. Cathal lets himself be herded inside without too much bristling, though his eyes to flick towards Jobe for a moment, as if eager for some sign. "Cigarette, buddy?" He offers to the guard, with a somewhat forced politeness. The guard doesn't respond. Once they're into the parkade, though, the door begins to close shut. "Nobody is watching the vehicle?" Asks Lucius, his distorted voice luckily incapable of feigning any sort of emotion, including surprise or blatant lying. "Eh? Oh, yeah, well... don't worry about that. Just go, I'll show you where the morgue is." The guard's got a grin on his face. Lucius elbows Jest. Whatever that elbowing may mean, Jest makes her interpretion of it with little hesitation. She steps forward to the nearest guard, left hand tentatively reaching out for his arm, "Ah, excuse me, Sir? But, is that man with the gun supposed to be loitering so close to the garage doors?" Her tone is tight with worry as she gestures back towards the gate rapidly closing. Provided he looks, her right hand is dropping to her hip. Cathal tenses slightly, his eyes scanning the room as Jest gets ready to strike. "Eh?" Guard #2 asks, evidently confused for a brief moment. That brief moment is usually all it takes. There are four guards present - the guide, the one Jest just grabbed, one watching the corridor door and another making his rounds near some of the hospital's sparse vehicles. Except he stopped making rounds when the guests came in. The one near the door, too, is watching only the group. His eyes widen but he takes no action. Lucius grabs his sling but doesn't pull the rifle forward, yet. He stops as Jest does, looking around very quickly. The thing about tall guard type men is that they really do make good shields. If one can count upon surprise in one's favor. Jest apparently makes that gamble. She smiles up into her chosen guard's face and, with his body shielding her from the view of the corridor guard, at least, she draws her stun gun and aims for the stomach of her distracted man. She shoots. Cathal, ever a team player, steps forward and draws his enormous shotgun, leveling it at the guide. As the closest of the three unclaimed targets, he falls into the ideal range of his shotgun. He pulls the trigger, unleashing an epically loud blast from the barrel of his gun. The kick would knock a smaller man down, but the massive Lunite is barely budges. Jest's target, having been shocked and grabbed by the woman goes slack a second later, presumably falling right into her arms. Cathal's target, on the other hand, isn't so much shocked as shredded. The buckshot from his shotgun blast penetrates his flak vest, but more importantly sprays him in the head, and the resulting bloody mess isn't even identifiable as a once living person, at least if faces are to be measured. Lucius himself pulls on his patrol sling tightly which brings his weapon up. Without bothering with the rifle, the masked man keys his underslung plasma launcher immediately and fires off a blast towards the guard near the door. He's got a brief moment to react, though - the searing hot plasma burns off half of his hair, but he's able to raise his assault rifle and return fire at Jobe. The remaining guard, behind an ambulance, raises his rifle and pops off a shot at Cathal. Jest's guard goes limp and oddly enough, she follows suit. She flattens against the ground as well, eyes focusing towards the man behind the ambulance. Or more appropriately, to the line of sight that she might now have at ground level. The metal body of the vehicle does not extend all the way to the pavement, after all. If she has a shot for legs, she'll be taking it. Cathal twists to face the guard behind the ambulance, dropping to one knee and pumping the next shell into the barrel as he turns. The guard's rifle fire sprays high over the Lunite's shoulder, while the larger man squeezes off another ear-shattering shot at the part of the guard poking out from cover. The man by the ambulance is unbalanced by a couple of things - first, his feet are struck with an enormous electrical shock from Jest's stun bolt, and then, the top half of his body is sprayed by a shotgun. He crumples to the ground in a bloody heap. "Fuck!" Yells Brother Jobe rather uncharacteristically as a trio of bullets spray by him. He drops into the prone position, narrowly avoiding them, before firing again with the plasma cannon - no time to switch to the rifle. This time, the man by the door isn't so lucky - the enormous white bolt catches him square in the chest and melts most of his torso right off. The intact upper half of his body falls on top the lower portion. Jest scrambles to her feet, expression grave, "Something didn't feel right to you, Jobe?" She asks, tone calm. She spares a quick check to see how the others are, and then she's already starting for the corridor, pistol held at the ready. Cathal works the pump, expelling the remnants of spent shell and sending the drum revolving its next into place. He sprints the few feet to the ambulence, checking the last kill and announcing, "Clear!" He backs towards the corridor, calling over his shoulder. "I oughta take point down that hallway, what with this weapon." "Grab a keycard and let's go!" Lucius does quick reload from his cannon, safeing it before tucking the semi-spent charger away and inserting a fresh one. Then he switches to his rifle, pulling it off safe. "Did you see the way they tried to force us in here and corral us into that corridor? Go, Cathal." He pushes himself up and preps to move. Jest crouches down by the corridor guard, or what is left of him. A quick pat down seeks out a keycard. Even if she finds it, she's not venturing further into the corridor. That's Cathal's job now. "Just checking, boss." She tells Lucius lightly. She winks at him. Cathal also snags a keycard off the headless corpse of the once oh-so-helpful guide before trudging to the entrance of the corridor and ducking in, shotgun up and ready for action. There are two aspects of the current situation, one positive, one negative. The negative thing is that gunfire was heard by people inside, and the alarm is going off. The positive thing is that the morgue is really very close inside the corridor, visible with a big sign on the door. "Alright. Expect enemy coming from any one of the doors. If you see them, waste them." Says Lucius, following behind Cathal. Jest says nothing, but takes up the rear now. Her pistol is held at the ready. The massive slab of Lunite crowds the corridor with his bulk, and his long, powerful strides carry him quickly but steadily down the hall. He whispers back, "Morgue comin' up." Right now, other than the drone of the siren, it appears that the corridor is quiet. "Cover our rear, Jest? While I go get the corpses." Lucius frames it as a request, his rifle ready but pointing down so he doesn't shoot his buddy in the back. "Done, handsome," Jest says. "Move quick, now. And don't forget to double stack the gurney two high. We can't afford to have all of us with no hands." Cathal takes up position just on the far side of the morgue door, falling to one knee again and keeping the huge pump aimed down the hall. He whispers again, "Say the word if anyone in there is packin', aye?" "Three high. I have strapping on me. It might take me a few minutes, though." Jobe tries the door, which surprisingly is unlocked. They probably usually have people walking around and don't worry about people accessing the room. There is the sound of rustling in there, things being thrown around and general unrest once he's in. The corridor, meanwhile, is quiet. Up in a far corner, a holo camera looms. Jest shakes her head slightly, but keeps her eyes roaming and her stance alert. She glances down to her wrist and her watch there. "Not too bad. Yet." She murmurs. Cathal's eyes sweep up and down the corridor constantly, catching for a moment on the lens of the camera. The machine looks too long into Cathal, and Cathal looks back into the machine. With a foul curse, he lifts his shotgun and takes a shot at the device, calling out a second later, "Camera!" Lucius is having trouble finding these bodies. A lot of trouble, evidently. He doesn't respond to Cathal's call or anything else. The rustling sounds continue. *BOOM* The camera explodes in a hail of supersonic pellets. The door out to the garage begins to slide closed, and quickly. There is a click in it. The door at the other end of the corridor doesn't click but... the sound of voices can be heard. "They just locked the garage on us," Jest reports back with a snap, "Darling, hurry up or we're going to need to go out the front." Cathal tenses, quickly working the pump on his weapon and pointing it squarely at the far door. "Voices, my end. I got it covered, but listen to the lady and hurry it up." "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Comes the distorted voice. It sounds almost amusing if one weren't in a near combat situation. As of now, there's nothing else coming in, but the voices are getting closer. There's a thump on the far door, the non-garage-y one. Lucius finally says, "Found them! Gimme a minute to stack." "Hot-stuff," Jest says, lips thinned to Cathal, "That ambulance. You think it could crash through those garage doors?" "My expertise is in crashin' ships, not cars...but it were pretty big. You two are the brains, I just got the biggest gun." Speaking of which, Cathal takes a few slow, sliding steps down the hallway towards the far door, closing to the ideal range for his weapon, should the voices become corporealized. Evidently, the guards aren't stupid. The far door is kicked open, and in comes a little object.. what is that? The hissing sound of the little object soon makes it obvious as it spews white smoke into the corridor. While it's obviously not CS Tear Gas, the smoke grenade is noxious enough, and it also camoflauges whoever's coming through. But sounds of boots can be heard. Within the room, Lucius yells, "Almost done!" Jest is focusing out on the garage and trying to make her own judgments for just how enforced that gate is. Gray eyes look for controls that might be used to guide its raising and lowering as well. Cathal is obviously from the "shoot first" school of combat. He levels his shotgun through the haze at where the door ought to be, closes his eyes tight against the smoke, and fires as the sound of boots mark somebody hopefully passing through the doorway into the hallway...and the spread of his shot. The good news, for Jest, is that there's a booth to the far side of the garage, near the ambulance. Maybe that's where there are controls. The bad news is that there's a fire exit five metres away from the booth that the bad guys could come through. Similarly, Cathal has good and bad news. The first is that there is a tangible feeling of blood spraying on him. The bad news is that while something drops to the ground, there are still boots coming towards. Automatic weapon fires and some guy yells like a banshee. From within the morgue, wheels can be heard turning as a gurney rolls towards the door. Jest's lips thin and her weight shifts. Clearly she's ready to spring forth but is waiting for one thing or another. She leans back into the corridor and, provided Cathal is safe from accidentally being hit, she'll fire down the corridor at the door and its possible dangers. If the gas obscures sight too much? She'll simply fire up to the ceiling. The sound of shots, at least might make people more cautious. Cathal lets his bulk fall backwards into a prone position, reversed in that he's on his back, aiming his shotgun down the length of his body. The burst of automatic fire peppers the wall against which he knelt only a second before, showering him with sparks and some light shrapnel. He works the pump, aiming up and into the middle of the smoke-filled corridor, squeezing off another Hail Mary shot. The ricochets off of the wall nearly bounce at Jest, but evidently fall short of that. Whatever happened when Jest and Cathal shot is final for the assailant, because there's no more sound of boots. Jobe has evidently ripped off his vocal distorter, since it's a Hesperian sounding voice filled with vim and vigour that yells out, "Alright, coming out, move out of the fucking way!" And here comes Jobe, still masked but behind a really high stacked gurney, with three corpses covered by a sheet tied to the metal, wheeled vehicle. Maybe the vocalizer didn't encourage breathing with smoke too much. Jest turns on her heel and bolts for the garage. More importantly, she's running full out for the control booth, focusing on the hope it represents for getting out alive. Cathal hauls himself to his feet, still squinting through the tears and smoke. He staggers backwards, trailing after Jobe and his gurney tower by a few feet, his shotgun still trained into the hazy doorway. He fires off another shot, purely for good measure, covering the trio's heroic retreat. Lucius is coughing furiously on his way to the ambulance for a few moments before abruptly he stops. He's still in the smoke too, which is just odd. No one is coming from the smoke, as of yet. The control booth itself is a simple affair, disgusting through probably years of neglect, discarded items and palm grease from who knows what the guard does when no one is watching. There is literally a doughnut that must have been here when Neidermeyer was running the Show on Tomin Kora and this place was a safehouse, because it's fused to the console. Not an important one, mind. The screen displayes a large warning, "LOCKDOWN". However, there is a slot for a keycard. Jest has the keycard she swiped and she preps to slide it in and undo the locking. However, she looks up to mark the progress of the two, perhaps worried about opening them up to the dangers of the outside with no cover gotten or no ambulance heisted. "Ge..." She blinks and notes Luc's absence. "Handsome?" Cathal keeps his weapon firmly fixed on the corridor as he backs into the garage, working another shell into position with a quick pump from his right hand. He calls over his shoulder without peeling his eyes away from the danger zone, "Oi, what's the gettaway plan?" Lucius pulls out of the hallway and the corpses come crashing into the ambulance. Miraculously, they don't fall off the gurney. "Open the fucking gate!" Lucius yells. Though his rifle is slung, he withdraws his handgun from his holster and flicks it off safe. "The getaway plan is we get out there, I cover you while you put the bolt in and load the gun up, you cover me while I put the plug-" His speech is broken up by the fire door near the booth opening up and two men, one armed only with a revolver and wearing a jumpsuit and the other armoured with a submachine gun coming through. The revolver wielding man goes straight for the booth and fires a shot, almost point blank, at Jest. The other man lifts his submachine gun and shoots off a burst at Lucius. Jest gasps and drops as the shot buries itself past her, trusting in the walls of the booth to protect her for a moment. She reaches one hand up blindly, seeking to press the keycard home and steal a glance to see what else is needed to end the lock down. Cathal, hearing gunfire, spins about, his aim flicking from one newcomer to the other. Maybe it is a question of priority target, or clear shot, or just which of his comrades' lives he values more. Whatever the reason, he roars, "Woman, stay down!" And takes a shot at the revolver-wielding man. Bad luck for Lucius - he's caught completely unaware that the shots are coming at him and basically takes three of the 9mm slugs in the chest. Thank the gods for armour! While he's knocked on his ass by the concusive force of the hits and loses his wind, he's able to raise up his handgun and fire off a shot at the assailant. Success! The garage door opens, and in rolls a bunch of large canisters that would have impeded the vehicle's progress had the group decided to crash out. They roll down and smash into one of the compound’s vehicles, destroying the wheel. However, the assailants aren't done, and neither of them is hit. Submachine gun guy finds cover behind the smashed car so the bullets simply ping off the walls, though it's not good cover. Idiot in overalls fires another shot at Jest with a mean look on his face. SMG guy fires another burst, this time at Cathal. The doors are opened. It's time to leave. Jest hisses in breath as she gets winged but brings her gun up to bear to return fire on her dedicated enemy. She does not yet see the state of the others, still being crouched down. But she can imagine enough. She shoots and runs forward at the same time. Cathal attempts to stagger aside as the submachine gunner takes aim, but takes the full burst to his right side. The direct hit pulverizes the thin layer of flak, sending the Lunite crumpling to his knees with a howl. He hefts the shotgun to his shoulder again, adjusting aim towards the guard who shot him so as to keep Jest out of his own line of fire. Jest's assault pistol rips right through the unarmoured man's torso and he crumples to the floor, very, very dead. Cathal's shot is a little bit wide, ploughign into the vehicle and getting stopped by whatever passes for an engine block. A 10mm slug sails right after, though, out of Lucius's handgun and into the man's eye. Only his ballistic goggles prevent it from being a fatal shot, but one thing is sure - he's blind and screaming in pain, and this gives the group a shot to leave. "Jest! Need you to help with Cathal!" Comes Lucius's real voice. Jest comes barreling out of the booth. Cathal's pained howl means that she already has a bead on finding him. She stays low and skids to a stop behind him. "Come on, handsome... you don't get to...." She's moving to try and get an arm under him and hoist him up. Cathal pushes himself to unstable feet, his knees shaking for a moment under his weight. Jest's tiny figure is a greater help than one would at first think, and the Lunite's enormous thighs flex and push, surging Cathal forward with his comrade's aid. He grunts out a mumbled apology, heading for the exit. Finally, for now, that seems to be it. Lucius safe's his handgun and begins to push the gurney again, aiming to be the first one to get to the vehicle so he can load the bodies in and get the plug into the engine. "Fuck, hooo fuck! This is like fucking Deserata!" "No worries, honey, no worries," Jest returns, panting, her focus is to keep him moving, as quickly as possible. Cathal uses his shotgun as a cane on the side not being supported by Jest, quickening his pace as much as size and his wounds will allow. It's not that Lucius has no respect for the dead... it's just that he's in a damn hurry. He chucks the bodies into the rear cargo area of the buggy in a heap, for all intents and purposes. "Get Cathal into that gun! Better than nothing, put that bolt back in!" Apparently comfortable ordering people not in his chain of command like an asshole, Lucius or Brother Jobe jumps into the front seat and tries to start the vehicle. It doesn't. He curses and pulls the plug out of his pocket, having forgotten to put it back in. "Can you make it up there?" Jest asks Cathal hurriedly, even as she's taking him around the back of the vehicle. Orders are one thing, Cathal's safety appears to be another, "We don't need it." Cathal clenches his teeth, reaching up to take hold of the turret-mount, "...fuck that. I ain't that old. I still..." With a harsh intake of breath and a few more curses, the Lunite hauls himself up into the seat, producing the bolt and slamming it home. "...got it." Jest doesn't belabor it. She grabs the door to the passenger-side and jumps in. There's a click as Lucius puts in the the plug and rises back up to slide his handgun away. He keys the vehicle to hydrogen and gets 'er goin'! "Get the bolt back into that gun, please!" Now he's being polite, but unfortunately the way out is blocked by a small hovercar. "Fuck!" Jest's expression is grim. Unless the hovercar looks to be that of little Jimmy, Jane and their parents taking them out for the day, she aims out the window. As useless as her BKMS Assault Pistol may be against the hovercar? She makes the effort. Cathal preps the gun successfully, though he's hunching over it with some obvious pain. He swivels in the seat, bringing the gun to bear on the offending hovercar. "...let me know if you need me to do any shootin'." "Shoot that fucking car out of the way!" Lucius reaches into his holster and yanks out his pistol, firing off a round. His and Jest's round pepper the vehicle, and there's a yelp of pain behind it. “Last chance," Jest shouts out the window, "Move the car!" She keeps shooting. Cathal holds down the trigger, sending a stream of rounds into the smaller craft. His teeth clench as his body shakes from the recoil, but he keeps up the fire. Whoever was in that little car, doesn't matter anymore because they're dead or dying. Lucius slides his pistol back away, and backs up until the buggy's ass is touching the alleyway wall. All around, there is the sound of gunfire - but it would appear another group has taken advantage of the fight in the med centre and is raiding it, maybe for drugs and supplies. Maybe to finish off enemies. Who knows? As the hovercar sinks to the ground, its repulsor jets no longer functional, Lucius says, "Hold on fucking tight!" He floors it, hoping the high suspension will let the buggy move over the vehicle and slowing it just as the buggy reaches. Jest ducks back in the buggy, eyes on the car they pass. Cathal clamps his powerful legs and arms around the turret-mount, bracing himself for the bumpy ride. VOOM! The buggy goes flying in the air and... some how lands on the ground. The wheels keep moving which means so does the buggy, though it's a moment before Lucius is able to right the course so they don't go into a wall. Some scattered gunfire is sent their way from behind and it misses. Jest takes a moment to inspect the winging of her leg. "We need a medic for Cathal." She says calmly. Cathal straightens slightly, taking hold of the turret and using it to spray fire at anything that looks even remotely hostile. Cathal's fire tags a variety of people here and there, but most are simply concerned with their own fight. Using the same path as before, Lucius drives them out of the area very quickly. "You slow down enough for me to jump out down the street," Jest says flatly to Luc, "And get him to Artemis. Start doing what you can. I'll bring a doctor. Understand?" Cathal's much overworked mounted gun clicks to empty, and the injured man is in no condition to haul up another box. He just sags against the weapon, breathing hard. "I've got the medical skill enough to handle him. He's got blunt force trauma and maybe bullet fragments. His vest stopped the bullet themselves." Lucius says, shaking his head. "No fucking way I'm leaving you in this chaos, Jest." He continues to floor it. Jest studies Luc, still breathing rapidly as adrenaline only barely starts loosening its hold. She clenches her jaw a little then nods. "You alright?" "Yeah, fine. Bruised up a bit. Don't think I took a bullet. We'll see soon enough." Lucius shrugs it off, driving around another gunfight. Far far around. It takes a little longer, but eventually they arrive at the ship. ---- Return to the year 3008. Category: Classic Military logs Category: Classic Underworld logs Category:Classic OtherSpace Logs